Favor the Bold
In the Dominion invasion ' |image= |series= |production=40510-529 |producer(s)= |story= |script=Ira Steven Behr Hans Beimler |director=Winrich Kolbe |imdbref=tt0708540 |guests=Andrew Robinson as Elim Garak, Jeffrey Combs as Weyoun, Marc Alaimo as Gul Dukat, Max Grodénchik as Rom, Aron Eisenberg as Nog, J. G. Hertzler as General Martok, Melanie Smith as Tora Ziyal, Casey Biggs as Damar, Chase Masterson as Leeta, Barry Jenner as Admiral Ross, Salome Jens as Female Shapeshifter, William Wellman, Jr. as Bajoran security deputy, Bart McCarthy as Admiral Coburn (credited as "Admiral Cobum"), Ericka Klein as Admiral Sitak, Andrew Palmer as Jem'Hadar Soldier |previous_production=Behind the Lines |next_production=Sacrifice of Angels |episode=DS9 S06E05 |airdate=27 October 1997 |previous_release=Behind the Lines |next_release=(DS9) Sacrifice of Angels (Overall) Scientific Method |story_date(s)=Unknown |group="N"}} (2374) |previous_story=Behind the Lines |next_story=Sacrifice of Angels }} =Summary= The Federation continues to lose the war with the Dominion/Cardassian Alliance — and morale is sinking fast. Realizing that the Federation needs a major victory, Sisko launches a plan to retake Deep Space Nine, using a task force comprised of ships throughout the Starfleet. Meanwhile, Odo continues to struggle with reconciling his thoughts for the Female Shapeshifter and remaining loyal to his friends, especially Kira. Despite his mixed feelings, he cannot resist linking — joining physically — with the fellow Changeling. Rom is sentenced to execution for interfering in Dominion efforts to destroy the minefield barricading Jem'Hadar reinforcements on the other side of the wormhole. When Quark promises his brother he will find a way to free him, Rom tells him it is more important that he destroy the beam being used to take down the minefield. Kira asks Ziyal to convince her father, Gul Dukat, to release Rom, but Dukat turns his daughter down. Meanwhile, Quark learns that the minefield will be destroyed within a week, allowing thousands of Dominion troops to come through the wormhole and flood the Alpha Quadrant. Quark and Kira realize they must warn Starfleet, so Jake smuggles out an encrypted message to his father. Sisko receives it and realizes he must begin his mission immediately, although needed reinforcements are days away from arrival. Tracking the movements of the Federation fleet, Dukat and Weyoun realize something big is being planned. However, Dukat is more concerned about reconciling with Ziyal. He sends Damar, his second-in-command, to convince her to speak with him, but Damar, who dislikes Ziyal, is rough with the girl. Kira witnesses this and angrily attacks Damar, nearly killing him. Meanwhile, Sisko returns to the Defiant to personally lead the task force for his pivotal mission. Dukat realizes the Federation troops are headed for the space station but is confident they won't have a chance once the minefield comes down. A bruised Damar asks Dukat for permission to arrest Kira, but Dukat only cares about what transpired between Damar and Ziyal. Odo has a disturbing conversation with the Female Shapeshifter, but when he later tries to talk to Kira, she refuses to accept his apology. Meanwhile, Sisko and his troops — headed for a wall of over one thousand Dominion ships — face what appears to be a suicide mission. =Errors and Explanations= Nit Central # Aaron Dotter on Saturday, December 05, 1998 - 6:27 pm: At first I thought it was a nit that none of the ships in the fleet had registry numbers (obviously because they had to photograph one model several times) but the DS9 Tech Manual explains this nicely. They said that many of the ships were simply made warp-capable, filled with weapons and sent on their way without any formal name or number. That would make sense, given the urgency of the situation. # Chris Thomas on Thursday, December 17, 1998 - 6:11 pm: Where's the Enterprise-E in this armada? You'd think the flagship would be involved. All they had to was just a passing shot, just a little nod. Murray Leeder on Thursday, December 17, 1998 - 9:47 pm: Why do people want to have seen the Enterprise-E in these episodes? What purpose would that serve? Star Trek all ready has a terrible habit of getting bogged down in self-referentialism. This would be pushing it just a tad. Chris Thomas on Friday, December 18, 1998 - 12:46 am: I wasn't asking for a guest appearance, just a 15 second fly-by of a CGI ship. Just a nod you know. So what was the Enterprise-E doing - orbiting Earth if it all fell in a hole and standing as a last line of defence? Ed Jefferson (Ejefferson) on Friday, December 18, 1998 - 10:42 am: Is there any reason why it shouldn't be part of a completely different fleet? Maybe it's having a refit ready for Insurrection. Murray Leeder on Friday, December 18, 1998 - 11:07 am: This single fleet certainly cannot contain every vessel in Starfleet. Chris Thomas on Friday, December 18, 1998 - 8:48 pm: It just seems odd that the flagship isn't present at such a big and imporant armada. Josh Mastin on Wednesday, August 09, 2000 - 9:38 pm: We didn't see the entire starfleet. Sisko and Ross did mention that one or two fleets weren't going to make it in time. I also think that it would be dumb to let your entire fleet into one engagement. I'm sure they had a backup SOMEWHERE. CrackedButter on Sunday, December 21, 2003 - 8:48 am: Starfleet has in wartime 42 fleets of varying sizes. The smaller the number (7th or 1st) the more important that fleet is. 42nd would be the youngest and least important fleet of starfleet. # Cableface on Monday, February 22, 1999 - 2:19 am: At the beginning of this episode, Dax marches into Sisko's office and says "...I don't know what all you brass hats at starfleet think you're doing...." or something like that. Isn't this a bit extreme? A week ago they were shipmates and now she sees Sisko as a Brass Hat? Chris Thomas on Monday, February 22, 1999 - 3:18 am: Well, it's probably the "old man" talking and Dax can be that familiar. She doesn't see Sisko as a brass hat, just someone closely connected and as such Dax feels he might be able to get her concerns through because of their friendship. # Keith Alan Morgan on Friday, April 30, 1999 - 6:53 am: Quark and Leeta are talking to Rom in the cell. In previous episodes it has been mentioned that Odo bugs the cells, I believe Rom even knew about it in The Assignment. If Rom knows about the bugs then Quark should know about the bugs, so why would Quark openly mention that he had a plan to free Rom? All they do is look around the room at the Jem'Hadar guard and don't seem to worry about other listening devices. They may have been disabled by Sisko's sabotage program in Call to Arms, and not yet repaired or replaced. # Deb on Wednesday, November 15, 2000 - 9:12 am: Here yet again Kira beats up a man, a man in Cardassian armor no less, with little or no trouble at all and not a scratch on her. Just how strong and well-trained is Kira supposed to be? Wouldn't Damar know a thing or to about fistfights? And it's not as if she's using "fancy" martial arts maneuvers here. She's just pounding on him. I'm sorry; this just is not realistic. She's a tough fighter! # inblackestnight on Wednesday, March 15, 2006 - 4:22 pm: When the minefield was being taken down with the gravatron beam, (or whatever) Weyoun couldn't see the blue flash as the replicator function was being disabled. I find it hard to believe that his eyes are so bad that he couldn't see a flash of light in space. How would he know when a console or something is blinking? LUIGI NOVI on Thursday, March 16, 2006 - 1:50 pm: A console is near him; The flashes of light are far away. If he's nearsighted (as I believe he indicated the Vorta are), then it makes sense. # I always enjoy seeing a big fleet of starships in ST. There were even a couple New Orleans class ships in there. Does the Defiant seem like it should be the flagship of this fleet? In todays navy, the aircraft carrier is always the flagship, no matter who is on it. Just because the Defiant is a warship, and Sisko is on it, I don't think the several Galaxy and Excelcior class ships would take the back seat. '''Cybermortis on Monday, May 05, 2008 - 4:43 pm: Sisko can pick which ship he wants to act as the Flagship and he knows exactly what the Defiant and her crew can do. Seniram 11:42, October 14, 2017 (UTC) Especially as Sisko was the person who came up with the plan in the first place! ''' =Notes= Category:Episodes Category:Deep Space Nine